DUBAI – Bahrain said yesterday it was setting up an independent fact-finding commission to investigate weeks of protests that rocked the Gulf Arab island after international criticism of its handling of the unrest.
The announcement comes ahead of a national dialogue, set to start on Saturday, which the government hails as a chance for reform and reconciliation in a country torn by sectarian divisions after Bahrain’s Sunni rulers cracked down on pro-democracy protests led mostly by the Shia majority.
Leading Shia opposition party Wefaq said the investigation would have no effect on its decision as to whether to participate in the dialogue.
King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, in a speech to his cabinet, ordered the commission to investigate issues ranging from the use of violence by police and protesters to allegations of Shia mosque destruction by security forces during the crackdown.
The commission will also investigate the legality of mass arrests and the dismissal of about 2,000 workers, which had been condemned by the US, Britain and other western allies.
We still need to look at what happened to know all the details of February and March and evaluate those events as they really were, King Hamad said.
A Wefaq official said the group was still considering whether to attend the reconciliation dialogue.
“The investigation will not have a positive or negative effect on our decision to go to dialogue,” Sayed al-Mousawi said.
The king said in a statement aired on Bahrain television that the kingdom had consulted with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on establishing the committee. – (Reuters)